(September 17, 2010) – The California State University and the University of California will jointly host a high school counselor conference at the Fresno Convention Center in Fresno, CA on Monday, Sept. 20. The event serving the Central Valley marks the first time that the two systems have come together to host a counselor conference.

"By working together, the CSU and UC can lessen some of the burden faced by schools and staff during this challenging fiscal environment," said Allison Jones, assistant vice chancellor academic affairs and student academic support for the CSU. "We'll be able to provide information about the opportunities offered by both systems in a single place. Based on registration totals counselors are eager to support this new format."

The CSU hosts six high school or community college counselor conferences each year to inform counselors on the processes, admission requirements and financial aid opportunities related to the CSU. Conferences feature a number of workshops and presentations designed to assist counselors in preparing students for higher education opportunities in the CSU.

The joint event has over 750 registered participants, more than twice the highest registration total of any single CSU counselor conference conducted over the past five years.

Additionally, the CSU's initial community college counselor conference for the year – held on Sept. 13 - was held virtually, marking another first for the university. By conducting the conference online, the CSU encouraged statewide participation and eliminated travel costs while reducing the impact on the environment.

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About the California State University
The California State University is the largest system of senior higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, approximately 433,000 students year round and 44,000 faculty and staff. Since the system was created in 1961, it has awarded nearly 2.5 million degrees, about 90,000 annually. The CSU is renowned for the quality of its teaching and for the job-ready graduates it produces. A recent economic report found that the CSU supports more than 150,000 jobs statewide, annually. The engine driving job creation is more than $17 billion in economic activity that directly results from CSU-related spending that generates $5.43 for every dollar the state invests. The mission of the CSU is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of the people of California. With its commitment to excellence, diversity and innovation, the CSU is the university system that is working for California.